Chris Taubadel
Chris Taubadel is a Son of Hermes, Greek God of Messengers and Mischief. He has been on one quest. Backstory Chris always knew he was special. His mother always told him as much. "You're a very special boy, Chrissy," she would say when he was young. "Your father was special and you'll be special too." He grew up in Toronto, Canada. So far north, it was dangerous for kids like him. When he was seven, his mother moved them to New York, then farther south to Myrtle Beach, and then farther south again to Tallahassee, before finally going all the way back to New York again. He never knew why, but he always felt like they were being followed by something. His mother always glanced behind them for a second too long when they got into a car or onto a plane. Meanwhile, Chris kept trying to find the thing that made him special. He was a fair reader and writer, once he overcame the dyslexia. He was creative, his imagination full of impossible things. If he could get the letters straight, poetry would spill from his fingers. But that wasn't what made him special. He was quick too, very quick. Every school he went to, he made track and field in a heartbeat. He could run and he could jump and he could climb, but that wasn't what made him special. His teachers always said that he was smart, but that he didn't live up to his potential. Chris would explain that he couldn't focus, and they said he was ADHD and put him on Ritalin and a gambit of other pills, but they didn't help. With all that imagination, there were far better things to focus on. But that wasn't what made him special. He was thirteen before he realized what did. The thing that his mother had been watching for finally caught up to them. A snake, a huge snake, slithering through subway tunnels. Chris had never seen anything like it, but he wasn't going to let it hurt his mother. She was the only person who really cared for him. Any time that he had mouthed off in class or stolen something from another child, she had been there, understanding. Quite unlike the other adults, who pointed fingers and spoke about reform school. Something came over him. He had no weapons, but when the snake attacked, he struck out. He dodged and waved and punched with bare fists. The subway station around them exploded into dust and stone. Chris didn't know what happened, but minutes later, the snake lay dead at his feet. It burst into dust, leaving only a plate-sized scale. It was then that his mom bundled him into a car and drove out of the city, explaining the truth: his father was not a travelling businessman in China, but was Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, and for as long as Chris was alive, there was only one safe place for him: Camp Half-Blood. There he would be safe to learn to control his powers and truly access his potential. It's been three years since that day, and Chris has three beads on his necklace. He's learned that he can do things that no one else can do. He can move quicker than the eye can see and quieter than the ear can hear. Get a spear in his hands and he's masterful. But he's never been called for a quest. It's been a long time coming... History Chris was born on May 1st, 1995, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Henriette Taubadel. She named him Christopher after her brother, who died as a child. His middle name, Abraham, was chosen based on the Biblical figure. Between the ages of 4 and 7, Chris attended St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Toronto. His mother worked as a museum tour guide, but they lived comfortable off what his mother called "a sizeable inheritance". Chris was precociously bright, but had difficulty reading and writing. He was diagnosed with dyslexia. He loved sports, especially martial arts and track and field. He took kung fu lessons starting at age 6. At the age of 7, Chris' mother pulled him out of school early, packed him into their car and drove to New York City without explanation. There, he attended several public schools. He had a tendency to get into trouble, gaining a reputation as a notorious prankster and thief. He was excellent at sports, but continued to do poorly in class. He was diagnosed with ADHD on top of his dyslexia and was perscribed an ever-changing retinue of pills. After a few years, Chris and his mother once again moved south. Following that, every few months they would relocate, working from New York to Florida. His mother eventually stopped enrolling him in schools and homeschooled him. Eventually, they made their way to Tallahassee, where Chris once again attended a regular school. For some reason, he always felt like an outsider their, despite his ability to make friends. It always seemed like there was someone or soemthing watching him. After two years in Tallahassee, Henrietta packed them up again and flew them back to New York City. Matt began attending his old school there and reunited with old friends. It wasn't long, however, before his facade of normalacy broke. While out for lunch with his mother, they were returning home on the subway. Alone on the platform, Chris was leaning over the tracks to see if the train was coming. He heard it and saw lights in the tunnel and backed away from the edge. What burst from the tunnel was not a subway train, but a train-sized snake. It coiled and prepared to attack. Chris worked entirely on instinct, moving with impossible speed. Eventually, the snake lay dead. It burst into dust, leaving behind only one giant scale. It was then and there that his mother explained the truth: he was the son of the Greek God Hermes. They had moved about so much because monsters and beasts had been tracking him his whole life. There was only one place he would be safe, a place for people like him: Camp Half-Blood. She led him from the subway and the pair got into a cab out of the city. Hours later, Chris was at Camp, claimed and sorted into Hermes Cabin, and for the first time he felt like he belonged. For the first time all of his skills had a place. He has lived at camp full time for 3 years, and is now one of the older campers. He has frequent contact with his mother. Appearance Chris is tall and wiry, with the musculture of a professional runner. He has dirty blonde hair that he keeps in a short mohawk because it is "aerodynamic". His ears are pierced, as is his left eyebrow. He has green eyes. He has distinct scarring on his left foot, where he stepped on a broken bottle while running at 300 mph. the scarring is as much from heat-scarring as from the damage of the bottle itself. He also has a chipped right incisor, from running full-speed into a tree as a child. His nose has been broken multiple times, and is a little asymmetrical. Personality Chris is charming, energetic and very lackadaisical. He believes that there's no rewards worth taking in life that aren't attached to great risk, and that to fear the risk is to fear the reward. He is fond of story-telling, punning and joking. He loves pranks, and plans elaborate, inter-connected "prank webs" to cause as much chaos as possible. He is loud and a quick-talker, sometimes to his detriment. His great flaw is pride. He believes himself to be cleverer, quicker and better than almost anyone around him. He is completely aware of this weakness, but doesn't seek to change it. Powers Chris has several key powers. Most importantly, Chris is a speedster. He can run faster than the speed of sound with no more exertion than an ordinary person would run a mile. His top speed has not been clocked, however, because moving that fast burns his fuel supplies, making him very hungry. He usually collapses from hunger well before his muscles reach their limit. Moving at this speed makes Chris invisible to the human eye and capable of running on liquid surfaces and up vertical planes. Moving at this speed also creates a cushion of air in front of him that prevents too much pain in case of impact. The friction from moving this fast causes regular running shoes to disintegrate after only a few days. In order to move this quickly, Chris' reflexes and senses are also heightened, allowing him to make snap judgements while moving quickly. This is equally benefitial in combat. Chris claims he only sleeps for an hour or two a night. This is likely because his body requires less rest, or because he becomes more rested faster. He says that even his dreams are "energetic". Chris can consume unbelievable amounts of food. This is not due to an increase in stomach size, but simply because he burns his reserves faster than most people. Magic Items Chris owns a pair of indestructible Nike Free Run +3 running shoes, a gift from Nike Cabin. They don't suffer the wear that other running shoes do as a result of Chris' speed, and have survived being set on fire. Chris also owns a magic Red Beard Shaolin Spear. The spear is made of red wood and Imperial gold, and can change its size at the will of the user, lengthening for an indefinite period and shrinking as small as a sewing needle. Details BASICS *NAME: Christopher Abraham Taubadel *NICKNAMES: Chris *AGE: 18 *BIRTHDAY: May 1, 1995 *FAMILY: Henrietta Taubadel (Mother) *LENGTH OF TIME AT CAMP: 3 years full-time APPEARANCE *HEIGHT: 6'1" *WEIGHT: 145 lbs. *EYE COLOUR: Green *HAIR COLOUR: Dirty Blonde *HAIRSTYLE: SAS Mohawk *SKIN COLOUR: Pale *PIERCINGS/TATTOOS/SCARS: pierced ears and left eyebrow *USUALLY WEARS: Running shorts and sleeveless camp shirt, running shoes SUPERNATURAL *POWERS: Superspeed, exceeding speed of sound, may be able to go faster on a straight stretch of road. This makes Chris very hungry, and could cause collapse on too long of a stretch. *ENCHANTED WEAPONS AND OBJECTS: Indestructible Nike Free Run +3 running shoes (a gift from Nike Cabin), Magic size-changing Red Beard Qiang NATURAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES *WEAPON OF CHOICE: Shaolin spear *MARTIAL SKILLS: Kung fu training *NON-MARTIAL SKILLS: Guitar playing, quick speaking, punning, clever mind for planning, also rock climbing FAVOURITES *COLOUR: Green *FOOD: Spiced Cashews *BEVERAGE: Cherry Coke *SPORT: Soccer *MOVIE: Any kung-fu film with subtitles *MUSIC: Anything, doesn't discriminate DISLIKES *Meat. Is a Vegetarian. *Cows. Horrid fear of cows.